SignaLink SL-1+ Installation & Operation Manual - Tigertronics

on the microphone or Accessory Port connector of most
radios. If Accessory Voltage is not available from the radio,
then power can be supplied through a 2.1mm power jack on
the rear of the unit.
Powering From Your Radio – To determine if the
SignaLink can be powered from your radio, you will need to
check the “pin-out” of the radio connector that you are going
to attach the SignaLink to (Mic, Data, Accessory, etc.). This
information can be found in your radio Operators Manual.
Most radios have a small amount of power available on the
mic jack (typically 8v @ 10ma) for microphone accessories
(DTMF pad, LEDs, etc.). Power is also sometimes available
on the Data or Accessory port. If your manual shows that
this voltage is available, then you can skip now to the
“Connecting The Radio” section of this manual. That
section will cover making the actual power connection.
If power is not available on the radio connector you are
using, then you have a couple of other easy options for
powering the SignaLink. The first option would be to obtain
power from whatever 12 volt supply powers your radio. To
do this you will need to make a short cable from that power
supply to the external power jack on the back of the
SignaLink. Note that you might also be able to obtain 12-
volt power from an Accessory Voltage connector on the back
of the radio (check your radio manual). The external power
jack on the SignaLink requires a standard 2.1mm/5.5mm
power plug. This plug has been included with the SignaLink
for your convenience. You will need to wire the plug to your
power supply in the appropriate manner. The polarity of the
plug should be center positive. Be sure to wire the plug
with the correct polarity and be sure to install a fuse in the
line for safety. For maximum protection, we recommend
that you fuse BOTH the positive and negative power lines
with a low current (250 ma or less) “fast blow” fuse.
The second option for powering the SignaLink is to use a
Wall Transformer. This is the quick and easy solution but it
does require an outlet. If you choose this option, you will
need to select a transformer with an appropriate rating. A
common problem in selecting wall transformers is that they
almost always put out more voltage than you expect. This is
because they are rated for output voltage at a specific load
current. If the load on the transformer is below the rated
load, then the voltage output will be higher than the rated
output. Under a light load, it is not uncommon for wall
transformers to provide twice their rated output voltage!
This means that a typical 12 volt transformer might put out
as much as 25 volts under little or no load, which would
exceed the SignaLink input voltage ratings. Because of the
very light load (13ma) provided by the SignaLink, you will
need to select a transformer with a rated voltage well under
12 volts. We would recommend a 6 volt transformer with a
low current rating. Below are some transformer sources that
are appropriate.
Radio Shack P/N 273-1758 (6v 300ma). You will also need
the 2.1mm (5.5mm OD) adapter plug P/N 273-1716.
Mouser Electronics (1-800-346-6873): P/N 412-106054.
(6v 500ma). Mouser also has a 9 Volt 200ma wall
transformer (P/N: 412-109024) that will work.
Digikey (1-800-344-4539): P/N DPD090020-P-5 or
DPD090020-P5-TC. These are both 9 Volt 200 ma units
that will work fine.
- CONNECTING THE SOUND CARD -
The SignaLink connects to the sound card through two
shielded audio cables with 3.5mm stereo connectors.
Connect one cable from the jack labeled “Computer –
SPKR” on the SignaLink to the jack labeled “Speaker
Output” on your sound card. The Speaker Output jack will
be Green if color-coded. Connect the other cable from the
jack labeled “Computer – MIC” on the SignaLink to the
“Microphone Input” jack on the sound card. This jack will
be Pink or Red if color-coded.
Note that if you normally have speakers connected to your
sound card and want to keep them connected while the
SignaLink is installed, then you will need to use a stereo “Y”
adapter cable on the sound card output. We have supplied a
“Y” adapter in our optional Cable Accessory Kit for your
convenience. We do NOT recommend the use of a “Y”
adapter unless you are using “amplified” (powered)
speakers. Conventional speakers often times cause slight
overloading of the sound card output, which can reduce the
signal level available to the SignaLink and produce minor
distortion. This distortion is generally not noticeable to your
ear but can greatly impact the quality of some digital
modulation signals like PSK-31. It is generally preferred not
to leave the speakers connected unless they can be switched
OFF when not in use. You will find most of the digital
modulation schemes very loud and very annoying anyway!
- CONNECTING THE RADIO -
CAUTION – Before connecting the SignaLink to your radio,
read this entire section thoroughly. Both the SignaLink and
your radio can be damaged by improper installation.
The SignaLink attaches to the radio through an 8-pin RJ-45
connector located on the rear of the unit. A radio cable with
the appropriate connector for your radio was supplied with
the SignaLink for this purpose. One end of this cable plugs
into the SignaLink’s “RADIO” connector, and the other end
plugs into the radio’s Mic, Data, or Accessory Port
connector. This cable brings all of the radio’s signal lines
into the SignaLink, so that you can connect to any line that is
required (see note below on connectors with more than eight
pins). The SignaLink uses the radio’s Ground, PTT, Speaker
Output, Mic Input, and Accessory Voltage lines. These are
the signal names that you will find on a typical Mic
connector. These signals are also available on most Data
and Accessory ports, but they are often labeled differently.
This will be covered in more detail below.
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